Listening in Practice

Today isn’t about training.

And for the record, yes, it is raining. Again.

It isn’t about structure or correction or routines.

It’s about stepping back.

This year has been heavy. Work pressures. Emotional conversations. Decisions that carry weight. Leadership in one space can drain you in another.

And dogs feel that.

They don’t know about meetings, deadlines, or the invisible load adults carry. But they know when the energy in the room is tight. They know when voices shorten. When patience thins.

Dog Listening begins with us.

If we are tired, they will feel it. If we are stretched, they will adjust to it. If we are reactive, they will brace.

Charlie and Elsie, the boxers, relax peacefully while their calm guardian rests nearby, forming a scene of cozy tranquility.

Sometimes leadership is not about doing more.

It’s about stopping.

Taking time away. Breaking from work. Walking without purpose. Sitting in the garden without an agenda. Letting the nervous system soften.

The dogs do not need constant improvement.

They need steadiness.

And steadiness comes from rest.

I am stepping away for a few days. Not from responsibility, but from noise. From drama. From carrying things that are not mine to carry.

The dogs will benefit from that more than any technique.

When we rebalance, they relax.

When we slow down, they soften.

Leadership isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about knowing when to pause.

Russ